Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Danaya: We lost K67 trillion over the last 37 years

By MALUM NALU
Western province governor Dr Bob Danaya has accused the mining and petroleum sectors of siphoning out of the country at least “K67 trillion” over the last 37 years, The National reports.
Danaya has claimed that they (sectors) were responsible for the country’s loss of K67 trillion over that length of time.

Danaya...will work to give ownership of natural resources to landowners

This is the reason why the ownership of minerals, oil and gas should go to the landowners/.
Under the Mining Act, and Oil and Gas Act, all minerals, oil and gas existing on, in or below the surface of any land in PNG are the property of the state.
Danaya said he would change these two laws if his PNG Labour Party formed the government,
He told an emotionally-charged press conference on Sunday that the bill to change both the Mining Act and Oil and Gas Act was overdue, after having failed to pass in the last parliament term through what was known as the Boka Kondra Amendments.
Danaya was flanked by lawyer and East Sepik Regional candidate Alois Jerewai as well as other PNGLP candidates.

Alois Jerewai

In 2009, North Fly MP Boka Kondra gave notice in parliament that he would introduce amendments to the Mining Act and the Oil and Gas Act to vest ownership of minerals and oil and gas in customary landowners.
“This is the bill that should have been passed,” Danaya said.
“I’ll take it back again to parliament and I’ll make sure that it is passed.”
He claimed 80% of earnings from PNG resources were taken by foreign developers with only 20% coming to PNG, bulk of which was “stolen in Waigani”.
“This is what we are trying to change,” Danaya said.
“This is what’s been happening for the last 37 years.
“How many millions have been taken out of Lihir, how many millions have been taken out of Ok Tedi?
“I say 60/40: 60% for landowners and 40% for developers.
“This is not going to scare investors.”
Jerewai said the exploitation of PNG resources was a form of “neo colonialism” imposed on the people of PNG.
“We (PNGLP) will take the bold step to stop this,” he said.
“We have been sub-servient on our own land.”
The PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum is strongly against the proposed mining amendment bill, which seeks to transfer mineral and petroleum ownership from the state to the landholders.
The chamber is concerned that transfer of mineral and petroleum ownership from state to landholders would be to the detriment of all concerned, including tangible benefits such as money.
“Papua New Guinea has one of the most-equitable benefit sharing systems in the world for mining and petroleum developments,” chamber executive officer Greg Anderson told a recent media workshop.
“It includes the national government, affected provincial and local level governments, and the impacted communities.”

No comments:

Post a Comment

Achievements

Winner of the 2011 UNESCO/Divine Word University Award for Communication and Development.Archived in National Library of Australia PANDORA Archive. 1 million hits as of Friday, November 16, 2012; 2 million hits as of Monday, July 14, 2014; and growing...No. 1 Blog in Papua New Guinea